Proverbs 4:23 – Household Words:

Woe Be Unto Pastors Who Destroy the Sheep. Jeremiah 23:1.

Once again, Jeremiah addresses false prophets and fallen preachers[1]. (I never realized how often preacher-scandals were addressed in the Old Testament!) Doesn’t this sound like a page out of today’s headlines? “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” Jeremiah 23:1. The prophet continues: “Therefore, thus says the LordContinue reading “Woe Be Unto Pastors Who Destroy the Sheep. Jeremiah 23:1.”

The Bible is the OWNER’S MANUAL for Life. Proverbs 1-4.

When you have car problems, the answers are in the owner’s manual, right? Everything is there: how to change a tire, battery maintenance, oil changes, weather issues, repairs, everything. The Bible is the OWNER’S MANUAL for life. Consider Proverbs: That is so much good advice! I read all of that this morning in the firstContinue reading “The Bible is the OWNER’S MANUAL for Life. Proverbs 1-4.”

Let Not Many of You Become Teachers. Romans 2:17-24.

Could you become a pastor for the wrong reasons? Karl Vaters of CHRISTIANITY TODAY argues that you could.[1] “People become pastors for so many wrong reasons. They like the status. They like speaking in public. They like arguing theology. They come from a long line of ministers. The list goes on.” The trouble with enteringContinue reading “Let Not Many of You Become Teachers. Romans 2:17-24.”

One Reason to Ignore the Ratings System. Acts 19:19.

When I was a kid, I imagined that the day I turned 13, my parents would rush me off to a PG-13 movie. And four years later, on my 17th birthday, I’d go out and watch all the R-rated movies I could afford. It was as if there were something magical about the ratings andContinue reading “One Reason to Ignore the Ratings System. Acts 19:19.”

Don’t Give the Devil a Foothold.

Have you heard the old calypso-style chorus that goes, “Shut the Door, Keep Out the Devil, Shut the Door, Keep the Devil in the Night”? If only it were that easy—just lock up before you go to bed and all will be well. But there is some truth to it. If we walk by theContinue reading “Don’t Give the Devil a Foothold.”

Sex Equals Influence.

Promiscuity often goes hand-in-hand with having no respect for boundaries. And those who “sleep around” are also those who violate other boundaries. But what if a couple is exclusively dating only each other? Well, that is a better scenario than promiscuity. But the risk is that your hearts become deeply connected without commitments. It isContinue reading “Sex Equals Influence.”